Warforged Destiny
by defiasstone2
Summary: (Forged Destiny World by Coeur basis) In a world where Jaune the Blacksmith dreams of being a Hero, the world isn't obliging to let him wait until he is ready to head to Beacon to throw hardship his way. For there is no better way to achieve your dreams, your destiny, than through the forge of war.
1. A Butterfly's Wings

"Grimm!" The call cut through the air with remarkable clarity, the cries of panic from those who were outside the walls reaching Jaune's ears even as he looked up furiously to the heavens in askance.

He didn't voice his frustrations, but the chance of a Grimm attack occurring just as he was delivering items at the wrong end of the village? When Jaune had prayed for a chance to become a **Hero**, he didn't mean the next day and when he was without his sword.

"Jaune, help me!" The cry from ahead of him made Jaune lower the hand cart he was pulling with a small thud.

With a mental apology to his father, Jaune was already activating his personal skill **Stoke the Forge **to his hands, morphing and shaping two of the Hoes that were meant for clients into rudimentary spears. If there was one thing Jaune never planned on doing, that was running _towards _a fight empty handed, especially given the weakness of the defence in front of him.

Fiona Anders was the daughter of Kurt Anders, the longest serving **Soldier class **based in Ansel, and blood had won through enough that her **Primary Class **had been that of a **Fighter **when she was born. Two years older than him at 17, the sight of the 5 foot 6 thinly built woman doing her best to shut one of the two large gates reminded him that **Fighter **didn't mean high **Strength.**

Despite her father's best efforts and countless hours of using Jaune and the other village boys as training du-partners, Fiona's **Primary Class** had 'awakened' into that of a **Slinger**. Which given the use of bows and crossbows these days, meant life was never going to be easy for the young girl, not that anyone would dare bring up her bad luck in public.

People were still coming in from outside, but even as he rushed to the left hand gate, Jaune heard the first otherworldly howl, which was followed by several others in quick succession. And they were close, given how one of the screams from outside suddenly changed to a cry of terror and pain.

Reaching the door, Jaune didn't even try to slow himself down, turning his shoulder into the charge and unleashing his **Strength** and body weight into the impact. It hurt like hell as he slammed into and then off of the suddenly closed gate, and he would have a hell of a bruise tomorrow to show for it, but it was effective.

"Thanks Jaune, tried to get some of the others to help but they're all too busy panicking. Damn Kratz and his drinking!" Rising back to his feet, as two of the villages **Gatherer class** rushed through the half gap, Jaune gestured upwards.

"Kill him later, go see what's going on. Let me know when to close the gate." Given her low **Strength **and **Constitution**, Fiona wouldn't be much use at the gate level if the Grimm did get in too close before they closed the gate.

Not that Jaune was looking forward to the idea himself, given he was dressed in a casual shirt and work trousers and armed with the equivalent of two javelins. Grabbing the arm of Mr Vautz, the **Cultivator **who served as the village Herbalist's assistant, as he rushed past him with his wife, Jaune did his best to sound authoritative.

"Mr Vautz, bring me anything metal you can find!" For a moment, Jaune thought he would be ignored, the older man looking up at him with a frightened cry, but then he seemed to gain control of himself as his wife grabbed his arm supportively.

"O-of course lad, there shouldn't be many more of us…" The middle aged couple moved away as another person made it to the gate, though grizzled form of Mr Farhen stopped at the gate itself rather than coming through it, hunting bow drawn and arrow notched.

"It's a full fucking incursion, Niles' is already… Jaune?" The bearded man took his eyes away from something he could see outside to throw a confused look in his direction, even as the bell above the gate began ringing.

"Where the fuck are… It's meant to be bloody Kratz isn't it?" With a furious look on his face, Mr Farhen drew his bow up and his eyes glowed for a moment before releasing the arrow, obviously using one of his **Hunter **skills.

There was a sudden whining noise, far too close for comfort as Mr Fahren ducked through the gate, using his free hand to assist Jaune as he pushed the gate closed. Just as the gate closed though, something _slammed _into it, nearly forcing Jaune from his feet.

"Hold it lad, hold it!" Even as his muscles strained and his feet dug into the ground, Jaune was just about able to hold back the snarky response building in the back of his throat.

'_What the hell does he think I am going to do? Let the damn thing in?' _Thankfully the **Hunter **was in motion, grabbing the first of the large wooden beams that would be used to lock the gate, unfortunately he was clearly struggling to lift it by himself.

And whilst whatever Grimm was currently trying to get through the gate wasn't stronger than him, there would be others here in moments.

"Fahren, get back!" The man looked confused for a moment, before he seemed to realise what Jaune was planning and drew his bow once more.

Stepping to the side as the Grimm drew back from the gate once more, Jaune readied his two spears and prayed this wasn't about to go to hell in a handbasket. A moment later and the gate jarred open, the Grimm forcing its way through clearly caught off guard by the movement as it fell forwards onto the ground.

It was a **Gaunt**, a four legged Grimm that looked somewhat like a dog, if you ignored the spiked spine and poison dripping from it's jaw. Anders had warned him and the other younglings in the village of the different types of Grimm that were common to the area, and Jaune was glad this one was off its feet as he stabbed forward and downwards.

It was like stabbing into an oak tree, and Jaune suspected if not for his high **Strength** and constant working at the forge the spears would have bounced off the Gaunt's thick leathery skin. But the spears stuck, and once through the thing's skin the weapons impaled the thing, the Gaunt releasing a single pained growl before it collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

The rush of experience told him it wasn't faking, something he had heard some Grimm did to try and catch people off guard, and with a grunt he hefted the body inside and threw it and the spears down further inside. The body would slowly disappear over the next hour or so, though if Ansel held the Gatherers would probably try and get the body outside before it fully disappeared.

Contrary to the beliefs of the City Dwellers, Grimm weren't just monsters of death and destruction. Where Grimm died, more often than not, Nature thrived and _flourished _around the death of Grimm. There were tales of entire villages being overrun by the unnatural growth that followed a large scale Grimm attack, the remaining populations evacuated rather than try and compete with both the Grimm and the encroaching woodlands and swamps.

But he could worry about having trees growing inside the wall later, as he rushed to the wooden beam as Fahren moved to close the gate once more. At almost 3 metres in length, the beam weighed almost as much as Jaune did, so lifting it was a significant challenge but something he could manage… just.

Staggering slightly under the weight, Jaune didn't waste time hefting the beam to his shoulder, instead he turned as quickly as he could to the gate.

Six steps, each the longest in his life as there was a crash from gates, Fahren struggling to keep them closed. With a cry of exertion, Jaune slammed himself and the beam into the gate, Fahren taking a step back as he dropped the beam into position.

"Horde!" Just in time to from the sounds of it, the shout from Fiona above making it clear just how much trouble they were in.

"The other beam! Hurry!" Fahren helped him with this one, the two of them putting it in the upper slot and locking both beams in place. It wouldn't stop the Grimm forever though, even now they were starting to claw and slam against it in increasing numbers.

"Jaune, I'm going up top!" It made sense, not that Fahren gave him time to discuss things, the Hunter moving to the ladder set into the Gatehouse structure.

That left Jaune to hold the gate until reinforcements got here, which would be at least a few minutes unless he got very lucky. And whilst he could just sit there and hope, Jaune planned on being at least somewhat more active. On each gate there were a series of hatches, barely large enough for a sword or spear to fit through.

Whilst these wouldn't be helpful against other humans, as they could stab back, but against most Grimm? Opening the one about waist height, Jaune was presented with a wall of black flesh and fur, different Grimm creatures slamming into each other and the gate in their quest to kill.

Reaching back for one of the spears still embedded in the Gaunt's side, Jaune wrenched it free. Readying himself, Jaune dropped into the basic wide stance for the spear, a wide stance with slightly bent knees. He focussed on short, sharp stabs through the hatch, it wasn't as if he could miss with the mass of Grimm presented to him.

He got to about twenty stabs, when the elation of gaining a level made him lose focus for a fraction of a second. It was a rush that he hadn't felt in more than a year, since he had awakened from **Craftsman** to **Blacksmith**. He strayed in withdrawing the spear for a fraction of a second too long, and something grabbed the spear and dragged it forward, almost yanking him from his feet.

Letting go of the spear, before it and his arm could be torn through the hatch and bodily removed, Jaune took a moment to settle himself. He could feel the changes form his level coursing through his body, but there was something more this time, like there was something in the back of his mind that was just… out of reach.

"Jaune, by the Gods…" Mr Vautz, bless him, had actually listened to him rather than just evacuating, the man bringing up Jaune's hand cart with his wife, whilst several other members of the village were approaching with various improvised weapons.

What he was blaspheming about however, was the large bear like paw that had just slammed through the upper part of the left gate.

Given the paw was easily the size of Jaune's chest, and each of the claws that came from it were the same size as steak knives, that wasn't a good sign. Grabbing the remaining spear he had made, Jaune stabbed up somewhat desperately, needing to kill this thing quickly before it could do any more damage to the gate.

"Fuck!" The wooden shaft of the spear splintered and shattered, as the spear head pierced the paw, black blood spilling out as something behind the gate roared hard enough to shake the ground.

He was going to need something stronger, something tougher to kill this thing. And given the gate was already starting to buckle, he wouldn't have long to come up with something…

**A/N: This one has been with me for some time, and will be taking elements from Coeur Al'aran's Forged Destiny, though I hope that it will be different enough that people don't think it is just a poorer version.**

**It starts a year before Forged Destiny, and as you have seen, Jaune's first Grimm kill happens a lot earlier in this fic. In a world where multiple villages 'go dark' each year (As shown by the First Quests Coeur depicts), Grimm must be more prolific and attack more regularly than I thought his fic seemed to imply. So, this time Ansel is the village that gets attacked by Grimm, and Jaune is going to be on the front line. **

**First thing's first, caste system and class progression are going to be two of the biggest differences I am planning. Everyone isn't going to be 'born' as a class like 'Shopkeeper' or 'Paladin', instead they are born into one of several core classes:**

**Fighter, Craftsman, Gatherer, Leader. (Others might come later as I think of them).**

**Then, once they reach a certain stage of development (class requirements that are different for each class and for each person) they 'awaken' into their main class. There are 'Hybrid' classes that cross between the two for the purposes of the 'caste system', such as the Hunter class that can either come from Gatherer, Craftsman or Fighter (with specialities that are related to the base class they evolved from. **

**Other changes should be made apparent in future chapters, though I hope you enjoyed this first little foray into the world of RWBY crossover with Gamer elements.**

**Thank you to all those who support me through various channels, if you want to support me further search my author handle on google and check the results for one beginning with P. :)**

**Please Review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Purge the Impure

Jaune was panicking, that was an understandable reaction in his mind, as he looked up at the massive claw that was being dragged back through the damaged movement and tight confines meant the spear head was being driven further into the Grimm's body, but all that seemed to be doing was pissing the thing off further.

"Jaune, we need weapons!" Mr Vautz grabbing his shoulder broke him out of his panic, and Jaune realised he was shaking slightly as his body screamed for him to run.

But running wouldn't do him much good here, and their best chance was if they could hold the gate, so Jaune steeled his nerves and turned away from the gate as it shook under the impact of the Grimm once more. In addition to his cart, Mr Vautz seemed to have gotten the word about Jaune's presence out to the other villagers as well, **Stoke the Forge** meaning that even as Jaune was assessing what was in the hand cart he was working to mold the nearest villagers rake into a spear.

He had always thought that his first abilities were a bit… pointless, if he was entirely honest, as all they did were things that a good Blacksmith could do with a forge and basic tools.

"There." Handing the finished 'weapon' to the **Baker** who he had grabbed it from, Jaune pointed to two of the most recent arrivals, a **Carpenter** and his **Gatherer **daughter.

"We need barricades, the gate isn't going to hold!" Ansel had a Wood Pile near the gate, off to one side, so the two could get to work immediately, though how much they would be able to do without tools was questionable.

As the **Carpenter **said something to his daughter, Jaune was assessing what other metal he had available.

The remaining pieces in his hand cart were mostly small traps such as bear traps and capture cages, for the **Hunters** and **Gatherers**, nothing particularly useful against Grimm, as well various crafting and hand tools. There was also 16 horseshoes, a large cauldron full of cutlery that the villagers had obviously grabbed from the nearest houses, and a dozen steel 'stones' that Anders had commissioned for his daughters sling, not exactly much in the way of accessible weapons.

If he had another half an hour, he could melt all the metal in the cauldron and use that to craft some actual swords, but in the time he had now he would only be able to… Suddenly Jaune had an idea, though it was very much an 'all or nothing' type of idea.

"Get the cauldron upstairs with the sling shot!" It was slightly unnerving to Jaune that he was the one giving the orders, as he was the youngest of the small group by at least 5 years.

"O-Of Course Jaune." But as Mr Vautz and one of the other villagers jumped to the task he had given them with barely a pause, he realised that most of them were too panicked to think about tactics or strategy right now.

***CRACK* **

The gate heaved once more under the attacks of Grimm, and there were now several points that were showing signs of severe damage. Whilst several people moved away, Jaune assumed to help the carpenters with the wood pile, those with weapons were doing their best to form into a defensive line.

"Move it people!" The weathered shout from behind the swiftly forming line helped relieve some of the tension that had been building in Jaune's stomach, the villagers parting to allow four members of Ansel's **Soldier **Caste through, lead by the elder Anders.

Two of them, both simple **Fighter **Classes dressed in chainmail armour and armed with spears, stormed past Jaune and the other villagers as Anders stomped up to him.

"You got a plan son? If not, I will take it from here." It was a moment that not even a month ago Jaune would have jumped on, his heart feeling like it would burst out of his chest.

"I was going to melt all of the metal in the cauldron and drop it on them." It wasn't exactly the most detailed plan, but it was the best he could come up with in the circumstances.

"Good, you do that lad, I will manage down here." With the burden of command removed from his shoulders, Jaune only just resisted physically breathing a sigh of relief, instead pulling his best attempt at a salute and turning away.

Even as he reached the stairs up to the wall, Jaune felt the entire structure shudder once more, the sound of wood splintering and cracking an ominous sign to say the least. He took the stairs two at a time, reaching the parapet just in time to see Fiona unleash another stone, the first of his metal 'bullets' zinging off into the distance with remarkable accuracy.

Mr Vautz was struggling with the cauldron by himself now, the other villager who had come with him nowhere in sight, so Jaune moved over and grabbed the cauldron from the older man.

"Go find more arrows and stones!" Mr Vautz seemed grateful for the chance to get off the wall, and as Jaune watched Fahren rear back as a Geckan reared it's head over the wall he could see why.

Fahren managed to recover remarkably well though, arrow drawn, notched and released in the time if took for Jaune to start heating the metal in the cauldron to make a weapon. The Geckan's head was literally pinned to the top of the battlements as the **Hunter **swiftly resumed the grim task of trying to kill the Grimm still approaching the wall.

That left Jaune with a cauldron full of slightly melted metal of various types. It was heavy enough that he would struggle to move it too far by himself, but there were only seven or eight steps to the hatch in the middle of the gatehouse, so despite his screaming muscles Jaune covered the distance and dropped it next to the hatch with a grunt. Sticking one hand into the Cauldron, and activating **Stoke the Forge** once more, Jaune focussed mainly on the two thick bolts that fixed the hatch in place.

Each was almost a foot long and an inch thick, put in place by his father almost twenty years before after a **Scavenger** had used it repeatedly to enter the village without being noticed and stole quite a few of the village's valuables. Time and the seasons had not been kind to the condition of the bolts and the fixing points keeping them in place, something Jaune confirmed when he hooked a foot to the nearest of the two bolts and tried to yank it open.

The bolt didn't even budge, the thick coating of rust and other gunk meaning that it would be impossible for a normal person to open. Looking into the Cauldron, and satisfied with the slowly growing amount of molten metal he could see there, Jaune raised his hand and flicked the molten metal still stuck to his hand off before reaching down with both hands and grasping the bolts, **Stoke the Forge **remaining active the entire time.

It took barely a second to 'burn' off the rust attached to bolts, another to melt through both the bolts and the latches keeping the hatch in place, Jaune joining the blobs of molten metal now almost dripping from his hands together so that he could free a hand grab the metal ring hoop and open the hatch.

The entire gatehouse shook once more, and the almost deafening wrenching sound made it clear that he was out of time. So Jaune's free hand changed direction mid-reach, running his fingers across the hinges of the hatch as his other hand formed a long pole, his burning touch weakening the hinges enough for them to give way and the hatch to fall through into the mass of Grimm below.

Whilst he had originally wanted to slowly tip the contents of the cauldron down the hatch, to ensure that he didn't accidentally set fire to the gatehouse, all Jaune could do now was yank the cauldron across so that it was over the hatch and stab his hand into and through the metal. It hurt somewhat to punch through the base of the cauldron, despite the increased flexibility the metal offered when heated, and Jaune winced as his sleeve smouldered and burnt away on contact.

"WARE BELOW!" The call didn't come from Jaune, Fahren obviously had been paying enough peripheral attention to let out the warning as somewhere in the region of 50-80 kilograms of molten metal started to stream out of the newly created outlet and onto the Grimm below.

The effect was instantaneous, the roaring and howling that had been filling the air shifting almost immediately in pitch and meaning. From a young age, Jaune had been taught that most basic Grimm didn't act in ways that could be attributed to human or even basic animal behaviour, in the sense that they didn't react to pain in what would be considered an intelligent manner. Rather than try to avoid it or shy away, the Grimm would try and attack whatever was attacking them, in this case the stream of metal.

Judging by the experience he could literally feel flowing into him as the roaring continued, the heady feeling of gaining another level making him feel more than a little light headed, the Grimm weren't backing away from the threat.

*CRUNCH*

"It's through the gates!" As the Cauldron finished emptying, Jaune moved it to the side hurriedly, giving him a picture of the scene below.

The metal had killed at least a dozen of the attacking Grimm, creating a pile of cooling metal and Grimm corpses directly underneath the hatch almost twice his size, creating a barrier that was preventing the majority of the remaining Grimm from getting through. The large bear like Grimm that had breached the gate however, which Jaune vaguely remembered being called **Ursa** **Minor**, seemed to have gotten away with only a few burn marks, that he glimpsed as it forced its way through the splintering remnants of the left hand gate.

"Shit…" His mother would have his ear for cursing later, but Jaune felt it was a suitable reaction. Even as he stood and hurried over to the inner edge of the gatehouse, the remnants of the cauldron and the long pole in his hand more afterthoughts than anything else.

The Ursa had reared up after it passed through the gate, it's monstrous mask and black furred back only a couple of metres below Jaune's feet, the remaining Grimm pouring through around it.

"Loose!" The villagers had been busy under Anders direction however, the minute or so since Jaune had left them allowing them to construct some rudimentary barricades in the direct path of the Grimm if they intended to progress further into the village.

It seemed the rest of the villages small allotment of Soldiers had arrived as well, two **Bowmen** and a **Crossbowmen** leading the volley of projectiles that were fired or flung at the invading Grimm.

Most of them were aimed at the smaller Grimm, succeeding in downing two or three of them before the mixture of **Geckans, Gaunts **and **Boarba's** were at the barricades, though several of them were caught in the various traps that had obviously been set in a hurry as well. Anders was already at work hacking at the ones closest to the middle of the barricade, the other Soldiers standing at the ends of the barricade to catch those that got around it. Jaune winced as he saw Mr Vautz fall back with a pained cry, the **Gaunt **that had clawed him in the face whilst leaping over the barricade burying its teeth into the neck of another villager before it was stabbed by three other villagers.

It looked like the barricade would hold against the smaller Grimm for now, even if the odd one got over it, but that was only until the **Ursa **decided to attack. And given Jaune's difficulty with killing the **Gaunt **even with his high Strength, the other villagers and even the **Soldier **class would no doubt struggle to even pierce the **Ursa's **skin. And all it would take was the **Ursa **to kill a few more people and the negativity would summon more Grimm.

"Jaune, I think that's the last of… What are you doing?!" What Jaune was doing, to evoke such a response from Fiona as she obviously finished either the last of the Grimm or her metal 'bullets', involved jumping up to stand on the top of the inner parapet.

The long pole, which he had originally planned on using to keep the metal he had poured into the gatehouse hot enough to act as a barrier to any further Grimm, was already morphed into long gauntlets that would be the closest he would get to armour. Even as they cooled through his use of **Quench**, the newest skill in his itinerary that he had gained barely two weeks ago, Jaune was already morphing the remnants of the cauldron. It was only an iron cauldron, nothing special, but as his hands moved over the surface Jaune smiled at the shape that was formed almost from muscle memory rather than active thought.

Crocea Mors, or at least a copy of the blade he had secretly stashed in his room, felt comfortable in his hands despite the lack of a proper grip or even a crossguard. But as the **Ursa **dropped down with an ear ringing roar, Jaune knew he didn't have any time to make it look pretty. Sharpening the blade as best he could, by **Quenching** the end of the blade before he finished forming it and snapping pieces off, Jaune leapt forwards.

It was a stupid idea, that was what went through his mind as he fell towards the black mass infront of him, but there wasn't exactly any way to stop himself at this point. Crocea Mors slammed into the **Ursa's** back a moment before the rest of Jaune did, and for a moment Jaune was terrified the sword would snap. The sword actually bent slightly, but then pierced through the skin of the **Ursa** with Jaune's full weight behind it.

*ROAR*

The pained cry of the massive Grimm, along with the sudden bucking maneuver it immediately began to perform, nearly threw Jaune completely off his unintended perch on the thing's back. Thankfully his grip on Crocea Mors held, much to the complaints of his unprotected fingers as the rough iron handle cut into them, the half buried blade sinking deeper into black fur and flesh as Jaune jerked back and forth, the white bone plates that intermittently dotted up from the thing's back cutting through his clothes and into flesh.

As the **Ursa** started lumbering forwards though, one of its paws smashing through the nearest of the erected barricades, Jaune realised his 'heroic' leap hadn't been quite as decisive as he had thought it would be. Whilst he had clearly wounded the **Ursa**, the black oil like liquid oozing over his body making that clear along with the roaring and bucking, it wasn't dead or dying anytime soon.

And if he pulled his 'sword' out to try and stab it again, chances were he was going to be bucked off. So, with no other ideas jumping out at him, Jaune activated **Stoke the Forge**. He wasn't sure how his skill would act as he poured heat from his hand down into Crocea Mors, doing his best to envision the heat transfering down the blade and into the **Ursa.**

***ROAR***

"Whatever you're doing lad, keep it up!" Anders and the others seemed to have finished the other Grimm, judging by what little Jaune could catch as the world around him blurred, the **Ursa **bucking almost frantically for several seconds before suddenly collapsing forwards and bursting into ash and dust.

Though even as Jaune crashed to the floor, the feeling of something in his leg giving way under the unexpected impact, his focus was on the lump of blackened metal and what looked like brown and green crystals that had appeared at the end of his Crocea Mors. His energy fading along with his consciousness, Jaune barely had time to note the new knowledge in his head, the skill he had felt himself gain when he gained the level at the gate finally becoming clear in his mind…

**Passive Skill: Purge the Impure**

**A/N: First off, apologies to everyone, I've had this chapter pretty much finished for a couple of weeks, but as I hadn't decided which path I really wanted to take this story I didn't want to head down the 'wrong' track without meaning to. I had ideas ranging from 'one off insta-forge' skill with an insane cool down that he used to effectively turn all that metal in the cauldron into a spiked iron barricade, to this one.**

**So, if you can't tell, Jaune's skills and focus will be more than a little different than they are in Coeur's fic. I won't explain in complete detail, but think of it as battlefield forging… Of a sorts. Something that Jaune's Stoke the Forge makes him almost uniquely useful for.**

**Still not decided what to do with magic users fully yet, though I do want to avoid the 'mages are OP' thing most gamer fics tend to go for. Any suggestions on the above points are always welcome. **

**Leave a review, let me know what you want to see more of etc. Next chapter will be a time skip, as we start to introduce characters and deal with the fallout of this particular event.**

**Thanks to all my supporters for their continued support. Lost the car recently so the contributions made are helping me cope with all the additional expenses that come with not being able to get myself places easily, while still having a little time for writing.**

**Defias Out!**


	3. Royal Council Intrigues

**The Royal Palace, Kingdom of Vale, Six months after the 'Attack on Ansel'**

**Sage Dusk Ozpin, Hero Commander of Beacon**

"Greetings Commander Ozpin. I apologise for the urgency of this summons so soon into your new year for the initiates, but this is a matter we may require your insight for." The summons from the Palace hadn't, in itself, been a particular surprise to Ozpin.

Even if the timing had been a little odd in comparison to the usual summons that he received two or three times a year. Five AM was early, even for a Hero, especially the day after the Initiation of the newest Hero Trainees.

"Seneschal Hazel, when King Galan writes to you personally, it is an honour not an inconvenience to attend." Ozpin paused for a moment as he shook hands with the towering **Boss** class figure, that King Galan used as both a middle man to his 'noble' subordinates and an intimidation tool in equal measure.

The short but hurried note, which had been delivered by three junior members of the Royal Guard, had not given him much of an idea of the matter that he was about to walk into. But the secrecy and level of security he had seen so far, as well as the fact he was escorted directly through pre-dawn Vale foot traffic and guided straight to 'The Unyielding Keep', at least made the gravity of the situation clear.

Moulded and expanded over almost a millenia, the Keep was, to many, the embodiment of Vale and its sovereignty. The original keep of Castle Vale, back when the Kingdom's limits could probably be seen from it's highest battlements, now stood as the central structure of the 'Royal Quarters. It had withstood Grimm incursions, invasions and coup attempts without fail, the dark grey of the seamless granite outer wall the work of hundreds of mages and craftsmen over the centuries.

"The King will be grateful for your understanding in this matter. Now, his majesty and others are waiting inside. His majesty wished to ensure discretion in this matter, so the servants have all been dismissed for the morning. If you require anything, young Ellayne and I will handle it." For the first time that morning, Ozpin's caution was piqued, and not in the 'unsolved mystery of magic' way that he actually enjoyed.

Now that it had been mentioned, he did actually notice the lack of well, anyone. The Royal Guard were still stationed and patrolling as normal, but there were no messengers or similar workers crowding the well maintained but fairly functional entrance hall of the Keep. Unlike the various castles of the **Dukes **and other leaders that he had visited and stayed in over his long career, there were no extravagant furnishings or expensive baubles filling every corner of the room. Instead there was a raised platform about a third of the way into the room, with steep and narrow steps that would hem in any potential attackers that made it into the keep itself.

"In here please Commander Ozpin." Ozpin didn't have any more time to let his analytical mind mull at the answers all the facts were leading him towards, without utilising some of his skills at least, as Hazel opened the double set of doors with an ease that disguised the weight each of the steel coated oak possessed.

The War Room was a room that Ozpin could happily say he had never before entered, and clearly built with two things in mind. Every wall was covered in maps and charts, ranging from a nautical chart of Remnant to an up to date and scaled tapestry of the capital city.

"Commander Ozpin, thank you for coming so quickly. Hazel, the door please." King Galan sat at the head of the wide Mistralian Oak table that served as both table and map, given the kingdom of Vale had been masterfully carved into it, over a century ago if Ozpin's memory served correctly.

Compared to the four men and two women that stood at the table, King Galan did not exactly cut the imposing figure he was famous for in his youth, given his somewhat considerable paunch and wide rimmed spectacles that made his eyes seem too big for his head. But as he waved Ozpin over with an impatience that _had_ remained strong over the years, the furious gleam in his eyes reminded Ozpin that just because the body had weakened didn't mean anything for a man's spirit.

"We can do the formal niceties later, but if we don't get this cloak and dagger thing over with soon, I will **Command **something that the bloody Nobles will be complaining about for months. Bastion, tell them what has happened." The tallest of the men gathered at the table, the primary class of **Stalwart** floating over a thinning close cut of blonde hair and beard, coughed slightly uncomfortably.

The man was one of the four Bastions that made up the leaders of the different branches of the Royal Guard, one of the many **Titles** that a **King **or other ruler could bequeath onto those that pledged allegiance to him. This particular Bastion's role was to do with managing the security and condition of the numerous Royal Holdings outside of Vale's Capital, so Ozpin had only met him twice before now.

"Beggin' your pardons, milords and fair ladies for me way of speaking. I was doing a patrol of the holdings Nor'West of here, there'd been talk of bandits and robbers terrorising the traders passing through. And where there's bandits, some of them are stupid enough to think of the King's hunting grounds to be a good place to be hiding." Despite the man's obvious embarrassment at his accent and general lack of elocution, no one at the table reacted in anything close to a negative manner.

This seemed to give the man some confidence, leaning over the table and grabbing one of the masterfully crafted rods stacked on one side before highlighting his general patrol route. The route followed several of the major trade routes that crossed the Kingdom, but at times veered off into what the map left blank.

Ozpin assumed that these were locations related to Royal Holdings, but didn't want to slow the meeting down by asking. If it was important to know the locations, someone would have mentioned it.

"Me lads and I dealt with three groups we managed to track down, but two score bandits and rogues don't cause this much trouble. And some of them attacks we were hearing bout were sounding proper organised… Like someone was ordering the different groups and giving em tactics." That sounded somewhat concerning, but bandit despots weren't exactly a new problem for Vale, and if it had been a serious enough infestation for his heroes to be involved there would have been a mission raised rather than a high level meeting like this.

"So, I make the decision to head back here, leaving the lads to act as a bit of threat deterrence in the meantime." This time, the Bastion's route back towards the capital was much more direct than the one he had shown on the way out, though his rod tip stopped as it reached the edge of one of the larger forests in the region.

"I didn't want to be going too quickly, in case some of the villages I went through were on the lookout for scouts or messengers for them bandits, so it took me two days to reach Ansel here. Being honest, before this patrol I ain't been hearing of it milords, but this time them merchants be spreading all sorts of gossip around the place." Ozpin hadn't heard of the place either, but given there were literally hundreds of similar villages spread throughout Vale, if he wasn't the village's direct Lord, then he didn't expect to have.

"What rumours? Are you saying that this village was acting as the base of the bandits you mentioned before?" The deep baritone of Crown Prince Philippe cut into the man's report, the young man of barely twenty summers still learning that he couldn't immediately rush to the root of every problem it seemed.

And given Bastion's confused expression at the Crown Prince's question, his logical reasoning still needed some work as well.

"Er, no your highness, me deepest apologies for telling you wrong. The rumours were about a new metal being found there, and something about crystals that could be used to make powerful weapons and the like. And when I arrived at the village, it weren't like them other villages anymore. Defences were good, and they'd been expanding into the outskirts of the forest, even though they not be needing the space for housing."

For the first time since the Bastion had started speaking, Ozpin had the first nugget of information as to why he and the others had been called here. Casting his head around the room once more, Ozpin's mind finally awakened fully, taking in the different occupants of the room as the Bastion continued speaking.

As well as the King and the Prince, there was Lady Luna Silver, who had been a powerful and respected **Battlemage **Hero for almost ten years before she accepted the role of **Court Sorcerer **almost five years ago. Bronze brown hair, kept in an untidy bun that she kept as much for how much it annoyed the Court as it was personal preference, was starting to turn the same silver colour as her eyes.

Unlike most battlemages, Lady Silver had long specialised in a less… destructive branch of magic. Her ability to rust enemies weapons and armour hadn't ever been particularly useful against the Grimm, but it gave her the capability to crush entire armies without mass loss of life. As such, she tended to only intervene when there was a… human element to consider.

"Given this be the first I be hearing of these new weapons, I asked around about them, and given my armour and weapons the village folk quickly worked out I was from the capital. When I told them I worked directly for his Highness, they be saying that I was two days early for the next blade, and that they were surprised the King be sending someone personally this time." Ozpin could piece the rest together quite easily, as he finally remembered enough of how Vale was divided up to have a good idea of _who_ was in charge of that particular section of the Western plains.

"What blades is he talking about father? I'm sure I would have been told of these 'powerful' weapons being delivered to the Royal Guard." Philippe reacted in a way that Ozpin knew he would be punished for later.

If there was one thing King Galan despised it was petulance, even if he would have been much less bothered about the lack of decorum the Prince was showing.

"If you would stop interrupting son, then poor Thomas would have been able to explain that point to you. Thank you Bastion, if you could please retrieve the blade in question…" The Bastion bowed slightly, clearly happy to not be talking any longer, but before he could move away from the table someone was already standing beside him, a long sword held horizontally in it's scabbard by a young girl Ozpin had seen in passing but never really spoken to.

"Apologies, your Highness, I thought I would fetch the blade to save you all some time." Above a carefully kept braided ponytail of dark brown hair was the class of **Knight**, and as young Ellayne finished her bow and looked up at them with the same deep blue eyes her brother possessed, Ozpin could tell she wasn't actually apologetic in the slightest.

"Any excuse to handle a blade again girl?" The King didn't even try and hide the amusement in his voice, his deep grumbling chuckle carrying on for a few seconds before he gestured imperiously to her, a deeper note entering his tone as he spoke once more.

"Well if your hero blood can't let you stay away, you might as well do the honours. '_Draw the bloody thing'_ and then I can order some breakfast." The shock in Ellayne's face at the **Command** seemed genuine enough that Ozpin allowed himself to relax slightly, at least the king hadn't set this up as one of his 'tests' it seemed.

Ellayne grasped the haft of the blade and drew it with a single hand, Ozpin's mind immediately focussing on the blade itself. There was a small flash of light, and the smell of magic that filled the air made it clear that this was not an ordinary blade. The matte black metal of the blade almost seemed to absorb the light from the windows in the room, and Ozpin could 'see' the eddies of magic being drawn into the blade.

"It's solid enough craftsmanship, basic in design though and clearly made by someone who doesn't make swords for a living. But I can't analyse the metal properly for some reason..." The Royal Smith, a stocky red bearded **Armourer**, seemed on the verge of trying to grab the sword off Ellayne, but he managed to stop himself.

"You're talking about craftsmanship? That blade is clearly enchanted, and there has been no-one capable of such in Vale for almost 100 years." Lady Luna seemed almost offended at the Smith's words, though she too was looking at the blade with undisguised awe.

As the Court Sorceror and the Royal Smith seemed set to quarrel over the details of the blade, the other woman amongst the gathered spoke up, her voice soft but with a biting undertone.

"And you talk about one blade Lady Silver, but as the Bastion mentioned there are more out there. And someone is using his Highness as a means to obtain such weapons from **my lands**. I can only assume that I was either here to see if I am the traitor, or to help you with details of the man who will be?" Lady Scarlett Garnet, Duchess of the Western Lands in which Ansel sat, was barely old enough to hold her title at sixteen years old

In fact, Ozpin had attended her anointment less than six months before, after the death of her father on a hunting trip where the hunting party was attacked by Grimm. Something that had raised more than one eyebrow throughout the Kingdom at the time, but there had been no obvious perpetrator who gained anything from the act. Now they had found the motive, at least in part, though killing a **Duke** and an entire hunting party of over forty people to cover up some illegal weapons smuggling was not what Ozpin considered an 'appropriate response'.

"You are correct Lady Garnett. Given the blade the Bastion has retrieved, the ones responsible for this treason will know their time is numbered, but in case they merely watch for a response from the Capital, we must make sure that our response is subtle enough to allow us to gather more information before striking at our enemy."

Which, Ozpin surmised, was why he was here. A group of Heroes passing through the area, especially student Heroes under the eye of a teacher, wouldn't attract much in the way of suspicion. He already had a group in mind, who were quite literally chomping at the bit for the chance to take a mission for some reason, despite only having arrived at Beacon a week before.

"I can have a group of first year students be teleported to somewhere in the area by the end of the day, I am sure that Glynda will have been to at least one of the Portal points in the area recently enough. They would have to be monitored by one of my staff of course, given their lack of experience and relatively low levels." And given he had finished managing Initiation, the fact that he was the member of staff with the most available schedule was pure coincidence, or that's what he'd tell Glynda when he gave her his position for a week or two.

"That is a good start Commander, you can fill us in on your choices after the meeting, and I will pay for the mission personally. There have been reports of increased Grimm activity in that area, or at least increased reports of slain Grimm being fed back to my aides. Whichever is true, applying for a team of Heroes to patrol the area and purge as many Grimm as they can is the expected response." Despite her somewhat pale and childlike appearance, Lady Garnett's interjection and contribution to his plan made it clear she was not to be sidelined so easily.

"While that is a good starting point, I have an additional suggestion." The soft spoken words from the last member of the gathered council had the same effect as if Ozpin had cast his **Silence **spell across the entire room.

Saren was an **Assassin **in his late forties, if Ozpin remembered his graduation from Beacon correctly, and it was wise to pay attention to any Hero who reached such an age. The King's bodyguard, a man whose very class was built for stealth and cunning planning, was not a man anyone at the table wanted to cross without very good reason.

"A Hero team will be able to approach and enter this village, that will not be an issue, the issue is if the enemy panics and attempts to silence the manufacturer as a precaution. The Hero team won't be able to stay in the village for long without becoming suspicious. However, we do have someone who is looking for a weapon to be made in preparation for next year's Hero examinations…" Ozpin could see where this was going, as much the thought of using such a person angered him greatly.

But, the more logical part of his mind was quick to point out, her father would of course want to come with her. And it wouldn't be _too _much of a stretch for the girl's uncle to come along for the trip as well…

And if whoever was making these weapons could make a suitable weapon for young Ms Rose… Well Ozpin wouldn't be too proud to admit he had a bit of a soft spot for the girl.

"And once the source of these weapons has been identified and can be apprehended, for their own safety if they didn't have any malicious intent, we can attack the true problem quickly and decisively."

King Galan's words seemed to inspire the rest of the Council, but Ozpin couldn't help but feel a little troubled even as the meeting concluded. Assuming Baron Mordo was the true problem was dangerous, and if there was another player lurking in the background, then what they were doing with enchanted blades was a **far** more concerning issue...

**A/N: Sorry, no Jaune this chapter. I'm not good enough to write an entire story from a single perspective like Coeur did. **

**So you have a major canon deviation already, with Jaune being able to suddenly make better swords, someone was bound to notice sooner rather than later. And of course, humanity's greed is one of the main factors that is prevalent in human society, so the chance to take advantage of such a unique resource would trump loyalty to a King or Duchess. **

**So we have Coco and her team, including Fox as they haven't truly been bankrupted by Torchwick yet, making their way to Ansel at the same time that Ruby will be making her way there. I haven't decided whether the entire family unit will come along, or if it will just be Qrow. **

**Let me know what you think!**

**Thank you to all of those who are supporting me btw! Such support is very useful to me, especially with this whole Corona thing going on…**

**Please don't panic too much everyone!**

**Defias Out!**


	4. We're Going on a Blacksmith Hunt!

**Ansel Front Gate, Kingdom of Vale, One Week Later**

**Taiyang Xiao-Long, Hero Class Pugilist**

"Come on Ruby, you're going to have to stop getting over excited at things going on around you, and then being embarrassed and hiding if you want to be a hero." Taiyang was being forced to speak over his shoulder, even as he nodded apologetically to the **Slinger **class guard standing at the Village's Northern gate, who given her young age had been a little overwhelmed by the barrage of questions his daughter had initially launched in her direction.

"No I don't, killing Grimm is a Hero's job and I don't need to talk to them." Said 'hero' poked her head from behind his torso for a moment, though to her credit Ruby didn't immediately jerk back when she saw that the **Slinger** girl was looking at her.

"I wish being a hero was that simple Kiddo, but you do need to talk to people to accept missions and the like. I'm sure the young lady won't mind if you ask her one or two questions." To his credit, Qrow had actually been rather helpful in keeping Ruby under control on this trip, even as he winked at the **Slinger** girl in a manner that caused her to giggle and nod her head.

"It's pretty quiet at the moment, so I can answer the questions you had, Ruby was it?" At Ruby's shy nod, the Slinger girl smiled.

"Well, that's a very nice name. Now, I know what it's like to be a little nervous about strangers, my name's Fiona Anders. And I'm thinking of trying to become a Hero next year, so we have that in common too!" Taiyang didn't judge the girl too harshly based on that titbit of information, though a slinger was going to have a fairly rough time of things in the First Quest let alone in Beacon itself.

"I see you don't think that's a good idea." Obviously something had shown on his face though, as the girl sighed and gave a knowing smile.

"Trust me, six months ago I wouldn't have thought it possible either. But with this new-forged equipment, and all the Grimm fighting I did in the incursion we had some months back. I think I've got a good chance." Fiona banged her fist against the dark red metal chestplate she was wearing with a confidence that showed she believed in it's quality.

The fact that her new 'friend' also wanted to be a hero seemed to overcome Ruby's shyness, with a little help from the hand he used to literally push her in front of him, questions rushing forth as the younger girl reached up and touched the chestplate and bracers that seemed to be a matching set.

This gave Taiyang time to actually look around and give Ansel itself a first real inspection. They'd seen the fields for the last twenty minutes or so, though given it was the middle of November there wasn't a large amount of activity going on currently. The quality of the road had improved as well, about a third of the way from the village to the King's highway, paved stones forming a much more stable surface than the dirt track that was at this stage mostly mud.

That was a sign of wealth and would eventually attract more wealth, new found wealth if the state of the walls in front of them were any indication. Most villages had palisade walls that were quite literally logs hammered into the ground, some were lucky if they even had gatehouses that could be used for lookouts/defence. Anything more than that took time and resources, something that most of the **Leader **caste felt was unnecessary and a waste of money.

Here though, at least a dozen metres of wall either side of the rather sturdy looking gatehouse had been upgraded, the palisade wall acting as an initial line of defence for the wooden gantry wall behind it. The gatehouse itself was also looking remarkably new, the double gates literally gleaming with freshness that showed they couldn't be more than a few months old at most.

Casting his eyes over to where Qrow was absentmindedly fiddling with the clasp on his cloak, Taiyang saw the **Druid's** eye's narrow as he no doubt noticed the same thing Tai had. Someone or something was boosting the wealth of this village considerably, which didn't match the reports he had received from Ozpin about the taxes being collected from the area,

"Just a quick question then, if I may Ms Anders?" The girl looked up from where she had been showing Ruby some kind of metal stone she had been storing in a pouch on her thigh.

"We are actually here to commission a weapon for Ruby, her class means that she doesn't use common weapons like swords. There has been a lot of talk about Ansel and the quality of the equipment it produces, so we thought we'd check it out before heading to the capital." That much was true, it hadn't spread as far as Patch yet, but the last couple of villages had each had their own praises/complaints about the equipment they'd been unable to obtain in any great quantity.

The mention of the new weapons seemed to grab the interest of the other guard who was slouched against the gate itself, though his lack of professionalism to even stand when there were visitors to the village made Tai glad that Fiona had been there. He got the feeling this Kratz fellow wouldn't have been anywhere near as accommodating towards Ruby.

"Oh, working on a Hero weapon? I was going to warn you that with the influx of orders they're having you might have to wait a while, but that request will move you right up…" Fiona paused as a sudden explosion could be heard from within the village, which made both Qrow and Tai drop into combat stances for a moment, before both of them realised that none of the villagers around them had so much as flinched while going about their daily routines.

"Ah, well that will make it easier for you to find the smithy at least. Just head for black smoke, here are your papers…" The casual way in which the girl waved off an explosion at their desired destination was slightly concerning, but the mention of commissioning her weapon had Ruby charging down the street into the village, forcing Tai to break into a jog in order to keep up.

Thankfully, it wasn't too far before they reached their destination, the smithy currently belching out black smoke from the fairly large stone extension to the main building, as two men covered in soot and grime lay on the small patch of grass just outside to the door of the extension part, coughing and hacking.

"By the Brothers, are you okay?" Ruby had forgotten her shyness as she reached them, clearly wanting to help and yet having no idea how to do so.

The two men were clearly too busy recovering to respond, the response instead coming from the building directly across the gravel path they had followed to get to the smithy.

"Those two idiots are fine, or they will be in a minute. Just another 'test' that's not gone as planned." The girl, who was sitting at a small wooden stall built into the fence that separated the track from the land of the houses either side of it, suddenly seemed to eye the three of them properly for the first time and perked up.

She honestly looked a bit frail in Tai's opinion, her cheekbones a little too sharp on a face that shouldn't have lost it's baby fat just yet. Her hair was also cut quite short, barely reaching her shoulders as she stood on her chair to gesture around her. But her eyes showed a sharpness that implied a quick mind behind her physical difficulties as they narrowed slightly looking at the large falchion on Qrow's back.

"But, if you are looking for items produced by Ansel Smithy, look no further. As you are both obviously Heroes of fine standing, I can tell you are looking for more than the standard fare you will get in other villages." Even as the blonde girl, who was probably two or three years younger than Ruby, turned around to reach into some of the large crates that laid behind her, Tai groaned as he saw Qrow preen slightly under the compliments.

And people said he was the prideful one?

"While I'm surprised to see a Druid using a blade given all of the stories, let alone one of such size, might I humbly offer this for your inspection?" Despite her small stature, the girl managed to carry the sword she had hefted out of the crate on the ground over to the fence, though it was clear she wasn't going to be swinging the thing over to them given it was bigger than her by at least twenty centimetres.

"Well, I'd normally say I'm fine with this old thing, but you certainly know how to get a customer's interest, little lady." Reaching over the fence and taking a quick look at the other swords that were in the barrel, Qrow winked in what he obviously thought was a charming manner as he grabbed the hilt of the sword from her.

Once he'd cleared the fence with it, he drew the blade from its scabbard in a single long motion, and Tai had to admit it did look impressive. It was at least a metre and a half in length, if not a bit longer, the length of the leather wrapped handle easily large enough for two hands to grip firmly and easily. The blade itself was intricately styled with a central bronzed plate that ran almost the entire length of the blade, etched with swirling patterns that almost seemed to form symbols at various points along the blade's length.

The crossguard, unlike most blades Tai had seen, seemed to be forged from the same metal as the main blade, twin stubs of metal sticking slightly up the blade to protect the hands of its owner.

"Forged for strength and cutting power, it's made with Garnet Steel and Ferric Copper alloy, hence the red tint to the metal of the double edges. As you can tell, this two handed sword is forged for Soldiers and heroes like yourself, hence the extra weight than what would be given to a normal blade of that type." This girl knew how to sell a blade despite her young years, Qrow doing some practice swings that Tai could _hear_ as the blade cut through the air.

"I'd want the weighting of the handle changing, it's actually a little _too_ perfectly balanced for my preferences…" The girl almost nodded straight away, before stopping and seeming to consider it, which was either the first sign of her inexperience in the act of haggling or a sign of her **mastery** of the subject.

Tai wasn't quite sure why the latter idea scared him so much.

"We can do that, once Jaune stops laying around and pretending to be hurt. Now, sir, let's discuss the price…" At that point there was a snort from the door to the house behind the stall, dragging Tai's attention away from the now almost ferally grinning girl to the brunette haired girl who was clearly the girl's mother.

Given the girl was clearly still an apprentice at her class, her class still a basic **Craftsman** rather than a specific type, Tai was slightly surprised the **Trader **class woman merely leaned against the door frame rather than interject directly.

"It's a nice blade, certainly I would like to have a spare to back up my current one, though it is a little too flashy for my tastes..." Bullshit, Tai could see even Ruby look up at her 'Drunkle Qrow' with a disbelieving expression.

"I think I would offer 2,000 for it, given that I have no way of testing it's quality…" There was a sharp intake of breath from the entrance to the smithy, where the smaller of the two charcoal covered figures had sat up and was cleaning himself off.

"I see…" The girl seemed to build herself up to her admittedly not so impressive height, before smiling beautifically in Qrow's direction.

"I was always a bit skeptical when my Mum said that thieves would try and pass themselves off as Heroes, but I suppose I expected you to try and be a little less obvious about it…" The scathing comment was delivered with the same warm and welcoming tone that the girl had used at the start of her sales pitch, somehow making the sting of her words all the more potent.

"What? No need to start talking about thieves…" Qrow actually looked hurt at the accusation, which given his upbringing was hardly surprising, and he was quick to respond with a denial.

"Of course, I obviously misheard the price you offered and therefore misunderstood your intentions. I am sure you meant 10,000, with an extra 500 for the re-balancing of your weapon…" Obviously the girl had taken offence to the price Qrow had originally offered, and despite the Druid's best efforts she managed to negotiate him up to a price of 6,500, taking full advantage of her age and seeming frailty to guilt him and threaten him in equal measure.

"Thank you for patronage, would the other noble Hero be looking for some weapons as well?" Even as Qrow deposited approximately half of their available cash onto the top of the shop counter, Taiyang saw the young shopkeeper turn her attention in his direction, only for another voice to speak up.

"If he does, you need to first give the nice **Druid** some of his Lien back Lavender." The voice was younger than Tai had expected, the **Blacksmith **title over the shorter Smithy man's head almost underlined by the Secondary class **Battleforged** that ran underneath it.

It was a class Tai had never heard of before, and the name hinted towards a Class path that he wouldn't expect from a Labour Caste.

"But Jaune, you heard the price he offered me… It was insulting!" The girl broke her 'sales' face for the first time, frowning in the direction of what Tai could only assume was her older brother even as she put on a whining tone that Tai recognised all too well.

Despite this obvious attempt to try and win him over, this Jaune boy merely crossed his arms and gave her a deadpan look.

"You know the rules Lav, Heroes pay cost price plus ten percent. Besides, given the young girl that's with them clearly has no weapon, I think you're doing the sales pitch to the wrong person…" It was like a switch had been flicked, the blonde girl back to her welcoming smiling routine as she waved in Ruby's direction, even as she collected about four thousand lien from where Qrow had placed it and shovelled it into the pouch on the front of her dress.

"Hi there, welcome to Ansel Smithy. I am Lavender Arc, and I will do my best to help you to find the companion that will make you into the stuff of legends." Ruby, bless her awkward little heart, seemed to be unsure of exactly how to respond to such an upfront introduction.

It didn't help that they were unintentionally surrounded by the blacksmith and his family, which meant she couldn't hide behind him or Qrow any longer

"And I feel it's probably best I step in at this stage, otherwise my daughter will leave you without the ability to even stay at the inn this evening." The woman at the door finally stepped forward, her smile a lot more genuine as she withstood Lavender's expression with remarkable ease.

"But Mum, I've already gained a level, if I can do the next one I might reach level 16…" Ruby's gasp pre-empted her stepping forward even as Lavender seemed to admit defeat under her mother's unrelenting gaze and dropped down from the chair she had been sat at.

"Level 16? I thought it was almost impossible for an NPC to gain levels at such a young age? I'm only Level 18, and Dad's been taking me out to fight Grimm. " There was a collective wince from the two adults as Ruby mentioned the not so polite term used to describe the labour caste, and given the confused look Qrow threw at his questioning glare, she hadn't learned it from him.

"Ruby, calling the Labour caste NPCs isn't a nice thing to do. It is, in fact, very insulting. I know that Qrow and I never taught you that term…" The question of who had been teaching her such things wasn't asked aloud, because Ruby was a smart girl, but also because he was slightly concerned about what the answer would be.

"Really, Yang never told me what it stood for, just that it was quicker than saying Labour caste all the time…" Shaking his head as the expected suspect reared its head, Taiyang nodded apologetically towards the Blacksmith and his family, even as he made a mental note to beat some sense into his eldest daughter when they returned to Patch.

"Apologies for that, I will talk to both my daughters about using such language going forward. Now Ruby, why don't you take Jaune and his Dad and show him some of the drawings you've made, I'm sure they will be able to provide some thoughts on weaponizing a scythe…" His attempt to lighten the mood, as well as to stop Ruby looking like a kicked puppy, worked well enough given the speed at which she was grabbing Jaune's hand and reaching into her backpack.

"Of course, you're a Blacksmith, so you will be able to tell me whether I should go with this type of blade or not… And can you make the metal the same colour as Uncle Qrow's new sword? I really like red and…" Watching the two youngsters head into the smithy area, well more Ruby dragging the more than slightly bemused Jaune even as she shoved an entire sheaf of papers in his direction, Taiyang didn't react openly to the hand sign Qrow made as he brushed his hair back while chuckling to himself.

But it showed he wasn't the only one whose sixth sense was niggling at the back of his mind, something that most Heroes listened to more than any other sense if they had any notion of self-preservation, given the various ways Grimm could hide themselves from sight or hearing.

In this case however, Taiyang would bet that the eyes watching them from the shadows were probably not Grimm in origin…

**A/N: Another chapter, another step in the road to Beacon. Hints of some of the changes that are coming about due to Jaune's new skill, as well as a bit more of a dip into the Labour caste lifestyle.**

**In addition to Jaune getting the experience of killing Grimm and crafting all this new equipment, his family are getting the advantage of managing the sales of said equipment. Even split between 7, if you include Juniper, making the deals on 'uncommon' or higher tier equipment will let them gain levels quickly. **

**Or at least, that is how it works in my head, never quite understood how 'trade' classes actually gained levels in Coeur's universe given the lack of quests etc. **

**And now we are getting to the middle of 'book 1', with the slow revelation of the threat even if Jaune is, presumably, clueless of such at this stage.**

**Next chapter will be back to Jaune's perspective, and will hopefully also include a little bit more world building, particularly what kind of recompense/incentive there is for small villages like Ansel to actually train their kids up to be Heroes. **

**Sending your young Soldier classes away for three-four years, when there are only 4-10 soldiers per village for example, is quite a big loss of security and potential prosperity given the potential casualty rate. **

**Anyway, review and let me know what you think!**

**Defias Out!**


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